Roberto Martinez Del-Pilar, 39, of Hickory, will spend at least 16 years in prison following his conviction for two counts of statutory rape.
The Honorable Karen Eady-Williams, Superior Court Judge from Mecklenburg County, imposed an active prison term of 16 to 25 years for Del-Pilar after he pleaded guilty during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, September 23, 2019.
Del-Pilar also will have to register as a sex offender for 30 years and is subject to deportation upon his release from prison.
He will serve his sentence in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.
Officers from Hickory Police Department responded to a call on June 3, 2019, and were informed by the parents of the 15-year-old female victim that they found her in a van with the defendant.
The victim indicated to police officers that the sexual activity with Del-Pilar started in December 2018, noting that she communicated with him by text messaging and had been sneaking out of her house to meet him on multiple occasions, often going with him to his residence after he picked her up.
She gave additional details of her relationship with Del-Pilar during a forensic interview conducted by the Children’s Advocacy and Protection Center (CAPC) of Catawba County.
The defendant initially denied a relationship with the victim when confronted at the scene by HPD officers but later admitted to the crimes and knowing his actions were wrong when interviewed at the police department.
Marisa Rogers led the investigation for Hickory Police Department with assistance from the CAPC. Assistant District Attorney Scott Lippert prosecuted the case for the State.
Article courtesy of District Attorney Scott Reilly’s Office
